ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir on Thursday expressed confidence in Pakistan’s future, saying the country was moving decisively towards stability and progress.
“Everything is fine; it’s all in front of you. Things are improving, and from here onwards, Pakistan will soar to greater heights,” he told journalists during an informal interaction at Aiwan-e-Sadr.
His comments came shortly after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif forwarded a summary to President Asif Ali Zardari recommending Munir’s appointment as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the premier approved Field Marshal Munir’s appointment as both COAS and CDF for a five-year term before sending the summary to the Presidency. President Zardari later approved the appointment.
The PM also sanctioned a two-year extension for Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu, effective after the completion of his current term in March 2026, the PMO added.
Earlier on Thursday, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the notification for the CDF appointment could be issued “at any moment”, stressing that the process was already underway and cautioning against unnecessary speculation.
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah also reiterated that the CDF would emerge as a crucial national security institution. He noted that while the law creating the position had been enacted, its rules and procedures were still being framed and required careful deliberation. He dismissed talk of delays as unfounded.
Amid persistent rumours about tensions between state institutions, Dr Tauqir Shah — a senior aide to the prime minister — categorically rejected reports of rifts between the civil and military leadership, calling them “baseless” and “misleading”. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi echoed this view, saying a major structural transition such as the CDF’s creation “cannot be done by simply pressing a button”.
Similarly, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif last week urged patience, stating that the CDF notification would be issued in due course.
